Catching up with an ongoing conference call

ABSTRACT

Various technologies described herein pertain to retaining content of a conference call for accelerated replay. The content of the conference call can be recorded. Further, establishment of a connection of a participant to the conference call can be detected. For instance, the connection can be established with a computing device of the participant. Moreover, the establishment of the connection of the participant to the conference call can be detected subsequent to initiation of the recording of the content of the conference call. Responsive to detection of the establishment of the connection of the participant to the conference call, at least a portion of recorded content of the conference call can be transmitted to the computing device for playback at a playback speed that is greater than a speed at which the content is recorded.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/613,411, filed on Feb. 4, 2015, and entitled “CATCHING UP WITH ANONGOING CONFERENCE CALL”, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No.9,008,296, filed on Jun. 10, 2013, and entitled “CATCHING UP WITH ANONGOING CONFERENCE CALL”. The entireties of these applications areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

During a conference call, three or more participants can communicatewith each other. Audio data (e.g., voice, etc.) is oftentimes exchangedbetween the participants of a conference call. Accordingly, audio datacaptured from a particular participant can be sent to the otherparticipants connected to the conference call. Moreover, someconventional approaches support broadcast of other types of data such asvideo data, presentation data, instant messaging data, and so forth froma given participant to other participants connected to the conferencecall.

Communication services that enable multiparty conference calls havebecome more prevalent. Such communication services commonly allowparticipants to join a conference call using various types of devices.Examples of devices that can be utilized to join a conference callinclude phones, personal computers, mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones,tablets, portable gaming devices, etc.) and so forth.

Various scenarios can cause a participant to miss a part of an ongoingconference call. According to an exemplary scenario, a participant mayjoin the conference call late (e.g., after some time has elapsed since abeginning of the conference call). In accordance with another exemplaryscenario, a participant may be disconnected from the conference call;while the participant can subsequently reconnect to the conference call,a portion of the conference call is missed during the time period of thedisconnection. A participant may be disconnected due to a lack ofnetwork connectivity, when switching between devices, or the like.

According to an illustration, a participant can initially join aconference call at the start of the conference call using a phone at hishome. When the participant is ready to leave his house for work, he candisconnect the phone from the conference call, walk to his car, andreconnect to the conference call using a mobile device in the car. Theparticipant can drive to work while connected to the conference callutilizing the mobile device. Upon arriving at his office, theparticipant can disconnect the mobile device from the conference calland reconnect to the conference call using another personal computer tofinish the conference call. The participant may miss a portion of theconference call, for instance, when switching between devices (e.g.,switching from the phone at his home to the mobile device, switchingfrom the mobile device to the personal computer at his office).Moreover, the participant may miss a portion of the conference call if adevice loses network connectivity (e.g., if the mobile device losesnetwork connectivity when driving through a tunnel).

Conventional approaches to mitigate detrimental impact due to missedportions of a conference call commonly involve recording the conferencecall. Such approaches typically enable a participant who misses a partof the conference call to review the recording after the end of theconference call at normal speed (e.g., speed at which content isrecorded).

SUMMARY

Described herein are various technologies that pertain to retainingcontent of a conference call for accelerated replay. The content of theconference call can be recorded. For example, recording of the contentof the conference call can start at a beginning of the conference call.According to another example, recording of the content of the conferencecall can be initiated in response to detection of a disconnection of aparticipant from the conference call. Further, establishment of aconnection of a participant to the conference call can be detected. Forinstance, the connection can be established with a computing device ofthe participant. Moreover, the establishment of the connection of theparticipant to the conference call can be detected subsequent toinitiation of the recording of the content of the conference call.Responsive to detection of the establishment of the connection of theparticipant to the conference call, at least a portion of recordedcontent of the conference call can be transmitted to the computingdevice for playback at a playback speed that is greater than a speed atwhich the content is recorded.

According to various embodiments described herein, notificationspertaining to status information can be provided to participants. Forexample, a participant can be notified upon reaching real time in theconference call. Following this example, an indication can betransmitted from a server (e.g., communications server, replay server,etc.) to a computing device of the participant when the participantreaches real time in the conference call. Further, the indication cancause the computing device to output a notification that signifies thatthe participant is at real time in the conference call. By way ofanother example, a participant can be notified when a disparateparticipant reaches real time in the conference call. Moreover, when atreal time, a participant may be permitted to participate in theconference call.

In accordance with various embodiments, a computing device of aparticipant can establish a connection to a conference call. Theconnection can be established subsequent to a portion of the conferencecall missed by the participant (e.g., the connection can be an initialconnection to the conference call for the participant or a reconnectionto the conference call). Moreover, recorded content of the conferencecall can be received. The recorded content of the conference call caninclude at least a part of the portion of the conference call missed bythe participant. Further, the recorded content of the conference callcan be output at a playback speed that is greater than a speed at whichthe portion of the conference call missed by the participant isrecorded.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of an exemplary systemthat records content of a conference call and provides recorded contentduring the conference call to one or more participants that miss aportion of the conference call for accelerated replay.

FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of another exemplarysystem that records content of a conference call and provides recordedcontent during the conference call to one or more participants that missa portion of the conference call for accelerated replay.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate various exemplary approaches for recording contentof a conference call.

FIG. 6 illustrates a functional block diagram of an exemplary systemthat notifies participants regarding status information.

FIG. 7 illustrates a functional block diagram of an exemplary system inwhich a computing device controls replay of recorded content distributedby a replay system via a network.

FIGS. 8-11 illustrate various exemplary embodiments of a replay system.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary methodology forenabling a participant to reach real time in an ongoing conference call.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary methodology forenabling a participant to catch up in an ongoing conference call.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary methodology forcausing a notification to be generated by a computing device of aparticipant of a conference call.

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary methodology foroperating a computing device of a participant of a conference call.

FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary computing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various technologies pertaining to recording content of a conferencecall and distributing recorded content during the conference call to oneor more participants that miss a portion of the conference call foraccelerated replay are now described with reference to the drawings,wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elementsthroughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of one or more aspects. It may be evident, however, thatsuch aspect(s) may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagramform in order to facilitate describing one or more aspects. Further, itis to be understood that functionality that is described as beingcarried out by certain system components may be performed by multiplecomponents. Similarly, for instance, a component may be configured toperform functionality that is described as being carried out by multiplecomponents.

Moreover, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” ratherthan an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clearfrom the context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean anyof the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs Aor B” is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; Xemploys B; or X employs both A and B. In addition, the articles “a” and“an” as used in this application and the appended claims shouldgenerally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwiseor clear from the context to be directed to a singular form.

As set forth herein, content of a conference call can be recorded.Further, recorded content of the conference call can be distributedduring the conference call to a participant that misses a portion of theconference call responsive to the participant connecting to theconference call. For instance, the conference call can be automaticallypaused when the participant loses a connection to the conference call.Further, the conference call can be resumed when the connection to theconference call is restored. Additionally or alternatively, theconference call can be recorded from a beginning time of the conferencecall (e.g., based upon a setting, upon detecting that one or moreexpected participants has not yet joined the conference call, etc.);thus, if a participant joins the conference call late (e.g., after thebeginning time of the conference call), then the participant can startthe conference call from the beginning time of the conference call.

The recorded content can be transmitted to a computing device of theparticipant responsive to detection of the establishment of theconnection of the participant to the conference call for playback at aplayback speed that is greater than a speed at which the content isrecorded. When not at real time, the participant is typically unable tointeract on the conference call (e.g., inhibited from asking questions,contributing to a brainstorming session conducted during the conferencecall, etc.); for instance, a microphone of a computing device of theparticipant can be muted when the participant is not at real time. Whenat real time, the participant may be permitted to interact on theconference call (e.g., the microphone of the computing device of theparticipant can be turned on when the participant catches up to realtime). Moreover, according to various embodiments, the participant canbe notified upon reaching real time (e.g., notify the participant thathe is able to interact on the conference call).

According to an illustration, a replay system can keep track of whichparticipants are connected to the conference call. When one or moreparticipants go offline (unless deliberately exiting the conferencecall), the replay system can begin recording content of the conferencecall (e.g., audio data, video data, etc.), for example. Moreover, thereplay system can begin transcribing speech as text upon one or moreparticipants going offline. According to other examples, however, it iscontemplated that the content of the conference call can be recordedfrom a beginning time of the conference call and/or speech can betranscribed from the beginning time of the conference call. Pursuant toan illustration, a conference system (e.g., a communications server) canobtain information that describes invitees of the conference call, wherethe invitees (or a subset thereof that accept invitations to theconference call or otherwise indicate anticipated participation in theconference call) can be expected participants for the conference call.Following this illustration, upon detecting that one or more of theexpected participants have not joined the conference call by aparticular time (e.g., the beginning time of the conference call, withinT minutes of the beginning time of the conference call where T issubstantially any positive real number, etc.), then the replay systemcan begin recording the content of the conference call, speech can betranscribed, and so forth. By way of another illustration, the contentof the conference call can automatically be recorded from the beginningtime of the conference call, speech can be transcribed from thebeginning time of the conference call, etc. (e.g., without detectingwhether all expected participants have joined the conference call).

When a computing device of a participant establishes a connection to theconference call (e.g., comes back online, joins late, etc.), thecomputing device can request a missed portion of the conference callfrom the replay system. Further, the missed portion of the conferencecall can be replayed at an increased speed. By way of example,timestamps (or frame numbers) may be used to specify which portion ofthe conference call was missed (e.g., resume chat ID #4217 beginning attime 14:07, etc.). If and when a participant catches up to real time,the computing device can notify the participant and/or the replaysystem, for example. Moreover, if the participants of a conference callare all at real time, then the replay system can discontinue recordingthe content, transcribing the speech, etc.; however, it is furthercontemplated that the recording can continue, the speech can continue tobe transcribed, etc. for other purposes (e.g., archive the conferencecall, etc.).

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 thatrecords content of a conference call and provides recorded contentduring the conference call to one or more participants that miss aportion of the conference call for accelerated replay. The system 100includes a communication server 102 that manages the conference call.The communications server 102, for example, can execute a conferencesystem. Further, at least three participants join the conference call.More particularly, a participant 1 104, a participant 2 106, . . . , anda participant P 108 (collectively referred to herein as participants104-108) can join the conference call, where P is substantially anyinteger equal to or greater than three. While many of the followingexamples describe three participants joining the conference call (e.g.,the participant 1 104, the participant 2 106, and the participant P108), it is to be appreciated that such examples can be extended toscenarios where more than three participants join the conference call.

Each of the participants 104-108 can employ one or more computingdevices to connect to the conference call. For instance, the participant1 104 can use a computing device 1 110, . . . , or a computing device X112 to connect to the conference call, where X can be substantially anyinteger (collectively referred to herein as computing devices 110-112).Similarly, the participant 2 106 can use a computing device 1 114, . . ., or a computing device Y 116 to connect to the conference call, where Ycan be substantially any integer (collectively referred to herein ascomputing devices 114-116). Likewise, the participant P 108 can use acomputing device 1 118, . . . , or a computing device Z 120 to connectto the conference call, where Z can be substantially any integer(collectively referred to herein as computing devices 118-120). WhileFIG. 1 depicts each of the participants 104-108 being associated withtwo or more respective computing devices, it is to be appreciated thatone or more of the participants 104-108 can be associated with onecomputing device (e.g., the participant 1 104 can use the computingdevice 1 110 to connect to the conference call). It is also contemplatedthat two or more of the participants 104-108 can be associated with thesame number of computing devices (e.g., X can equal Y). Moreover, it iscontemplated that two or more of the participants 104-108 can beassociated with differing numbers of computing devices (e.g., X candiffer from Y).

It is to be appreciated that the participants 104-108 can employsubstantially any type of computing device. Examples of computingdevices include phones, personal computers, gaming consoles, mobiledevices (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, portable gaming devices, etc.),and so forth. Thus, according to an illustration, the computing device 1110 can be a tablet and the computing device X 112 can be a mobile phone(e.g., smartphone); yet, the claimed subject matter is not so limited.

The participants 104-108 can connect to the conference call using one ormore of their respective computing devices. Further, the computingdevices can establish a connection to the conference call via a network122. Thus, data can be exchanged between computing devices of theparticipants 104-108 over the network 122.

According to an example, a participant can connect to the conferencecall with one computing device at a given time. By way of illustration,the participant 1 104 can connect to the conference call using thecomputing device 1 110 at a given time, while the remainder of thecomputing devices of the participant 1 104 (e.g., the computing device X112) are not used to connect to the conference call at the given time.Further, a participant can switch from using one computing device duringa first time period to a second computing device during a second timeperiod to connect to the conference call. For instance, the participant1 104 can connect to the conference call using the computing device 1110 during a first time period; the participant 1 104 can further switchto use the computing device X 112 to connect to the conference callduring the second time period. By way of another example, a participantcan connect to the conference call with two or more computing devices ata given time. Following this example, the participant 1 104 can connectto the conference call using the computing device 1 110 and thecomputing device X 112 at a given time. When connecting to theconference call with two or more computing devices, a participant canlikewise switch devices used to connect to the conference call.

The system 100 can support substantially any type of conference call.According to an example, the conference call can be a peer-to-peerconference call. By way of illustration, the participant 1 104 can usethe computing device 1 110 to connect to the conference call, theparticipant 2 106 can use the computing device 1 114 to connect to theconference call, and the participant P 108 can use the computing device1 118 to connect to the conference call. Thus, the computing device 1110, the computing device 1 114, and the computing device 1 118 can bepeer nodes that can exchange content with each other without a centralinfrastructure. For instance, the computing device 1 110 can sendcontent to and receive content from the computing device 1 114 and thecomputing device 1 118 over the network 122 without a centralinfrastructure. Moreover, it is contemplated that the communicationsserver 102 can be a peer node for a peer-to-peer conference call.

By way of another example, the system 100 can support a centralizedserver-based conference call. Again, the participant 1 104 can use thecomputing device 1 110 to connect to the conference call, theparticipant 2 106 can use the computing device 1 114 to connect to theconference call, and the participant P 108 can use the computing device1 118 to connect to the conference call. Thus, the computing device 1110 can send content to the communications server 102 over the network122, and the communications server 102 can send the content to thecomputing device 1 114 and the computing device 1 118 over the network122. Likewise, the computing device 1 110 can receive content from thecommunications server 102 (e.g., from the computing device 1 114 or thecomputing device 1 118) over the network 122.

In accordance with another example, the system 100 can support aconference call that is a combination of a peer-to-peer conference calland a centralized server-based conference call. For instance, somecontent (e.g., audio data, video data, etc.) can be exchanged betweencomputing devices in a peer-to-peer manner, while other content (e.g.,instant messaging data, etc.) can be exchanged using a centralinfrastructure.

The system 100 includes a replay system 124 that retains content of theconference call for replay. In the example set forth in FIG. 1, thereplay system 124 is comprised by the communications server 102 thatmanages the conference call. However, it is contemplated that arecording server can include the replay system 124 (as depicted in FIG.2), one or more computing devices of one or more of the participants104-108 can include the replay system 124, a combination thereof, and soforth.

The replay system 124 includes a monitor component 126 that detects astate of connectivity of the participants 104-108 of the conferencecall. For instance, the monitor component 126 can detect establishmentof a connection of a participant to the conference call or adisconnection of a participant from the conference call. Further, themonitor component 126 can detect whether expected participants have orhave not joined the conference call. For example, the communicationsserver 102 (e.g., the conference system) can obtain information thatdescribes invitees of the conference call, where the invitees (or asubset thereof that accept invitations to the conference call orotherwise indicate anticipated participation in the conference call) canbe expected participants in the conference call. Pursuant to thisexample, the monitor component 126 can detect whether the expectedparticipants have or have not joined the conference call.

Moreover, the replay system 124 includes a retention component 128, adata repository 130, and a distribution component 134. The retentioncomponent 128 can record content of the conference call in the datarepository 130. Thus, the retention component 128 retains recordedcontent 132 in the data repository 130. The recorded content 132 caninclude audio data, video data, text data, slides, instant messages, andso forth. Moreover, various types of data included in the recordedcontent 132 can be synchronized for replay. Further, the distributioncomponent 134 transmits the recorded content 132 of the conference callto one or more of the participants 104-108. The distribution component134 can transmit the recorded content 132 of the conference call whilethe conference call is ongoing; however, it is contemplated that thedistribution component 134 can also send the recorded content 132 of theconference call after the conference call has ended. The distributioncomponent 134 sends the recorded content 132 to one or more of theparticipants 104-108 (e.g., computing devices of the one or moreparticipants 104-108) for playback at a playback speed that is greaterthan a speed at which the content is recorded. For instance, therecorded content 132 can be altered by the replay system 124 to enablethe playback to be at a playback speed that is greater than the speed atwhich the content is recorded. Additionally or alternatively, acomputing device to which the distribution component 134 sends therecorded content 132 can alter the recorded content 132 to enable theplayback to be at a playback speed that is greater than the speed atwhich the content is recorded (e.g., the recorded content 132 can beunaltered by the replay system 124, the recorded content 132 can also bealtered by the replay system 124, etc.).

The retention component 128 can retain the content of the conferencecall during a period of time that a participant is not connected to theconference call (e.g., as detected by the monitor component 126).Thereafter, upon subsequent connection (e.g., initial connection orreconnection) of the participant to the conference call (e.g., asdetected by the monitor component 126), the distribution component 134can send the recorded content 132 (or a portion thereof) to suchparticipant. It is to be appreciated that the retention component 128can continue to store the content of the conference call in the datarepository 130 at least until the participant reaches real time in theconference call.

As noted above, the retention component 128 can record the content ofthe conference call in the data repository 130. According to an example,the retention component 128 can retain the content of the conferencecall from a beginning time of the conference call (e.g., regardlesswhether one or more of the participants 104-108 is late to join theconference call, if one or more of the participants 104-108 is late tojoin the conference call). For instance, upon the monitor component 126detecting that one or more expected participants (e.g., one or more ofthe participants 104-108) have not joined the conference call by aparticular time (e.g., the beginning of the conference call, within Tminutes of the beginning of the conference call where T is substantiallyany positive real number, etc.), then the retention component 128 canbegin recording the content of the conference call. Alternatively, theretention component 128 can retain the content of the conference callregardless whether one or more of the participants 104-108 is late tojoin the conference call (e.g., without detecting whether all expectedparticipants have joined the conference call). According to anotherexample, the retention component 128 can record the content of theconference call upon the monitor component 126 detecting a disconnectionof a participant from the conference call.

An exemplary scenario is presented for illustration purposes. Theexemplary scenario is referred to in many of the following examples;yet, it is to be appreciated that the claimed subject matter is notlimited to such scenario. Pursuant to the exemplary scenario, theparticipant 1 104 can be connected to the conference call using thecomputing device 1 110 and the participant 2 106 can be connected to theconference call using the computing device 1 114 from a beginning of theconference call without disconnection. Moreover, according to theexemplary scenario, the participant P 108 can connect to the conferencecall using the computing device 1 118 after missing a portion of theconference call.

Following the above-noted exemplary scenario, the monitor component 126can detect establishment of the connection of the participant P 108 tothe conference call. The connection can be established with thecomputing device 1 118 of the participant P 108. Further, theestablishment of the connection of the participant P 108 to theconference call can be detected by the monitor component 126 subsequentto initiation of the recording of the content of the conference call bythe retention component 128. Responsive to detection of theestablishment of the connection of the participant P 108 to theconference call by the monitor component 126, the distribution component134 can transmit at least a portion of the recorded content 132 of theconference call to the computing device 1 118 for playback at a playbackspeed that is greater than a speed at which the content is recorded.

By way of example, the connection of the participant P 108 to theconference call detected by the monitor component 126 can be an initialconnection to the conference call (e.g., the participant P 108 joinslate after the conference call has begun). Following this example, theretention component 128 can retain the content of the conference callfrom a beginning time of the conference call. Further, the monitorcomponent 126 can detect the establishment of the initial connection ofthe participant P 108 to the conference call. In response to detectionof the establishment of the connection of the participant P 108 to theconference call by the monitor component 126, the distribution component134 can transmit at least a portion of the recorded content 132 of theconference call to the computing device 1 118 for playback at a playbackspeed that is greater than a speed at which the content is recorded.

According to another example, the connection of the participant P 108 tothe conference call can be a reconnection to the conference call (e.g.,the participant P 108 was previously connected to the conference call,thereafter disconnected from the conference call, and subsequentlyreconnected to the conference call). Thus, a prior connection of theparticipant P 108 to the conference call is previously disconnected. Asnoted above, the retention component 128 can record the content of theconference call. The retention component 128, for instance, can initiaterecording the content of the conference call from a time of thedisconnection of the participant P 108 from the conference call; thus,the retention component 128 can initiate recording the contentresponsive to the monitor component 126 detecting the disconnection ofthe participant P 108 from the conference call. However, it is alsocontemplated that the retention component 128 may have initiatedrecording the content of the conference call from a beginning time ofthe conference call, from a time of disconnection of a disparateparticipant, or the like. Moreover, the distribution component 134 cantransmit the recorded content 132 of the conference call from the timeof the disconnection of the participant P 108 from the conference callto the computing device 1 118 of the participant for playback at aplayback speed that is greater than the speed at which the content isrecorded. The distribution component 134 can transmit the recordedcontent 132 of the conference call responsive to the monitor component126 detecting the subsequent reconnection of the participant P 108 tothe conference call via the computing device 1 118.

Continued reference is made to the example where the connection of theparticipant P 108 to the conference call is a reconnection to theconference call via the computing device 1 118. It is contemplated thatthe prior connection of the participant P 108 to the conference call canbe established with the computing device 1 118 of the participant; thus,the participant P 108 can use the same computing device for thesubsequent reconnection to the conference call. Moreover, it iscontemplated that the prior connection of the participant P 108 to theconference call can be established using a disparate computing device,such as the computing device Z 120; hence, the prior connection can beestablished with a first computing device and the subsequentreconnection can be established utilizing a disparate second computingdevice (e.g., the participant P 108 switches computing devices).

Reference is still made to the example where the connection of theparticipant P 108 to the conference call is a reconnection to theconference call via the computing device 1 118. According to variousembodiments, the retention component 128 can discontinue recording ofthe content of the conference call when the participant P 108 reachesreal time in the conference call and disparate participants (e.g., theparticipant 1 104 and the participant 2 106) of the conference call areat real time in the conference call. Alternatively, it is contemplatedthat the retention component 128 can continue recording the content ofthe conference call until the end of the conference call.

The replay system 124 enables automatic pausing of the conference callas well as resuming of the conference call upon connection (e.g.,initial connection or reconnection) to the conference call. Playback ofthe missed part of the conference call can be at a speed that is greaterthan the speed at which the conference call was recorded. Such increasedspeed can enable a participant that missed a portion of the conferencecall to catch up to real time.

Now turning to FIG. 2, illustrated is another system 200 that recordscontent of a conference call and provides recorded content during theconference call to one or more participants that miss a portion of theconference call for accelerated replay. Again, the system 200 includesthe communication server 102, the participants 104-108, and the network122. Further, the participant 1 104 can use the computing devices110-112, the participant 2 106 can use the computing devices 114-116, .. . , and the participant P 108 can use the computing devices 118-120 toconnect to the conference call.

In the example set forth in FIG. 2, the system 200 further includes arecording server 202. The recording server 202 comprises the replaysystem 124 as described herein. Moreover, the recording server 202 cancommunicate (e.g., via the network 122) with the communications server102 that manages the conference call. Thus, the recording server 202 canbe separate from the communications server 102.

In accordance with another example (not shown), it is contemplated thatthe system 200 need not include the communications server 102. Accordingto yet another example (not shown), it is contemplated that one or moreof the computing devices of one or more of the participants 104-108 cancomprise the replay system 124.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate various exemplary approaches for recording contentof a conference call. In the depicted examples shown in FIGS. 3-5, timet₀ is a beginning time of the conference call, time t_(A,1) is a time atwhich a participant A is disconnected from the conference call, timet_(B,1) is a time at which a participant B is disconnected from theconference call, time t_(A,2) is a time at which the participant Arejoins the conference call, time t_(B,2) is a time at which theparticipant B rejoins the conference call, time t_(A,3) is a time atwhich the participant A reaches real time in the conference call, timet_(B,3) is a time at which the participant B reaches real time in theconference call, and time t_(end) is an end time of the conference call.It is contemplated that the participants 104-108 of FIG. 1 can includethe participant A and the participant B. Moreover, it is to beappreciated that examples of FIGS. 3-5 are provided for illustrationpurposes, and the claimed subject matter is not so limited.

Turning to FIG. 3, illustrated is an exemplary approach 300 forrecording content 302 of a conference call. As illustrated, the content302 of the conference call can be recorded from the beginning time ofthe conference call to until the end time of the conference callt_(end). Moreover, the content 302 of the conference call can berecorded with timestamps that specify a beginning of a time periodwithin the conference call missed by each participant. Thus, a timestamp304 can be retained to specify a beginning of a time period within theconference call missed by the participant A. Further, a timestamp 306can be retained to specify a beginning of a time period within theconference call missed by the participant B.

Now turning to FIG. 4, illustrated is another exemplary approach 400 forrecording content 402 of the conference call. As depicted, recording ofthe content 402 of the conference call can be initiated at a time ofdisconnection of a first participant from the conference call (e.g.,disconnection of the participant A from the conference call at timet_(A,1)). Similar to the example set forth in FIG. 3, timestamps can beretained, where each timestamp can specify a beginning of time periodwithin the conference call missed by a corresponding participant. Thus,a timestamp 404 can be retained to specify a beginning of a time periodwithin the conference call missed by the participant A and a timestamp406 can be retained to specify a beginning of a time period within theconference call missed by the participant B.

As noted above, the participant A can rejoin the conference call at timet_(A,2), and the participant B can rejoin the conference call at timet_(B,2). Further, the participant A can reach real time in theconference call at time t_(A,3), and the participant B can reach realtime at time t_(B,3). In the exemplary approach 400, at the time of alast participant reaching real time in the conference call (e.g., timet_(B,3)), the content 402 of the conference call need not continue to berecorded. Thus, the recording of the content 402 can be discontinued attime t_(B,3) when both participants A and B reach real time in theconference call (assuming other participants in the conference call arealso at real time in the conference call).

Now turning to FIG. 5, illustrated is another exemplary approach 500 forrecording content of the conference call. In the example set forth inFIG. 5, disparate recordings of the content of the conference call canbe retained for each participant that misses a portion of the conferencecall. Thus, content 502 can be recorded for the participant A andcontent 504 can be recorded for the participant B. The content 502 canbe recorded for the participant A from time t_(A,1) at which theparticipant A is disconnected from the conference call until timet_(A,3) at which the participant A reaches real time in the conferencecall. Similarly, the content 504 can be recorded for the participant Bfrom time t_(B,1) at which the participant B is disconnected from theconference call until time t_(B,3) at which the participant B reachesreal time in the conference call.

Turning to FIG. 6, illustrated is a system 600 that notifiesparticipants regarding status information. The system 600 includes thenetwork 122 and the replay system 124. Moreover, the system 600 includesa computing device 602 of a participant 1, a computing device 604 of aparticipant 2, . . . , and a computing device 606 of a participant P(the participants 104-108 of FIG. 1), collectively referred to herein asthe computing devices 602-606.

The computing device 602 can include a client component 608, thecomputing device 604 can include a client component 610, and thecomputing device 606 can include a client component 612. The clientcomponent 608, the client component 610, and the client component 612are collectively referred to herein as client components 608-612. Theclient components 608-612 can be employed by the respective computingdevices 602-606 to participate in the conference call.

Moreover, the client component 608 can include a notification component616, the client component 610 can include a notification component 618,and the client component 612 can include a notification component 620.The notification component 616, the notification component 618, and thenotification component 620 are collectively referred to herein asnotification components 616-620. The notification components 616-620 canrespectively output notifications pertaining to status information viathe computing devices 602-606.

When at real time in the conference call, a participant can participatein the conference call. Alternatively, when not at real time (e.g., whenreviewing the recorded content 132 during the conference call), aparticipant can be inhibited from participating in the conference call.For instance, when at real time, a participant can talk, ask questions,make suggestions, etc., as part of the conference call (e.g., amicrophone of a computing device of a participant at real time can beon, etc.), while a participant who is not at real time can be inhibitedfrom talking, asking questions, making suggestions, etc. (e.g., amicrophone of a computing device of a participant not at real time canbe muted, etc.).

According to an example, the notification component 616 can output anotification that signifies that the participant 1 is at real time inthe conference call (e.g., such notification can designate that theparticipant 1 can participate in the conference call). Moreover, it iscontemplated that the notification component 616 can output anotification that signifies that the participant 1 is not at real time(e.g., the notification can signify that the participant 1 is unable toparticipate in the conference call). Additionally or alternatively, thenotification component 616 can output disparate notifications to theparticipant 1 that signify whether other participants (e.g., theparticipant 2, . . . , and the participant P) are at real time in theconference call or not (e.g., the disparate notifications can specifywhether the other participants are able to participate in the conferencecall).

The replay system 124 can include the monitor component 126, theretention component 128, the distribution component 134, and the datarepository 130 as described above. Further, the replay system 124 caninclude a status component 614. The status component 614 can transmit anindication to a computing device of a participant (e.g., one of thecomputing devices 602-606) when such participant reaches real time inthe conference call. According to an example, the computing device 606of the participant P may be disconnected from the conference call for aperiod of time. Upon detecting establishment of the connection of thecomputing device 606 of the participant P to the conference call, thedistribution component 134 can transmit the recorded content 132 of theconference call to the computing device 606 for playback at a playbackspeed that is greater than a speed at which the content is recorded. Thestatus component 614 can detect when the computing device 606 of theparticipant P reaches real time. Further, when the status component 614determines that the computing device 606 of the participant P hasreached real time, the status component 614 can transmit an indicationto the computing device 606 of the participant P (e.g., the notificationcomponent 620). The indication sent by the status component 614 to thecomputing device 606 can cause the notification component 620 to outputa notification that signifies that the participant P is at real time inthe conference call. For example, the notification component 620 cancause the computing device 606 to output an audible notification, avisual notification, haptic feedback, a combination thereof, or the liketo signify that the participant P has caught up with the real timeconversation.

Again, reference is made to the above-noted example where the computingdevice 606 of the participant P is disconnected from the conference callfor a period of time. After reconnection, the status component 614 candetect when the computing device 606 of the participant P reaches realtime. Responsive to detecting that the computing device 606 of theparticipant P has reached real time, the status component 614 cantransmit an indication to at least one disparate computing device of atleast one disparate participant connected to the conference call (e.g.,the computing device 602 of the participant 1, the computing device 604of the participant 2, etc. other than the computing device 606 of theparticipant P). Such indication can cause a notification component(e.g., the notification component 616, the notification component 618,etc.) of the least one disparate computing device to output anotification that signifies that the participant P is at real time inthe conference call. For example, the notification component 616 cancause the computing device 602 to output an audible notification, avisual notification, haptic feedback, a combination thereof, or the liketo signify that the participant P has caught up with the real timeconversation.

Now turning to FIG. 7, illustrated is a system 700 in which a computingdevice 702 (e.g., one of the computing devices 602-606 of FIG. 6)controls replay of recorded content distributed by the replay system 124via the network 122. The computing device 702 includes a clientcomponent 704. The client component 704 can include a connectioncomponent 706 that establishes a connection to the conference call. Asdescribed herein, the connection component 706 can establish theconnection to the conference call subsequent to a portion of theconference call missed by a participant (e.g., associated with thecomputing device 702). For instance, the connection can be an initialconnection to the conference call for the participant (e.g., theparticipant joins the conference call late) or a reconnection to theconference call for the participant.

The client component 704 can include an interface component 708 that canreceive recorded content of the conference call. For instance, theinterface component 708 can receive the recorded content of theconference call from the replay system 124 via the network 122. Therecorded content received by the interface component 708 can include atleast a part of the portion of the conference call missed by theparticipant. Moreover, it is contemplated that the interface component708 can receive real time content of the conference call.

The client component 704 can further include a content output component710 that outputs the recorded content of the conference call at aplayback speed that is greater than a speed at which content of theportion of the conference call missed by the participant is recorded.The content output component 710 can output the recorded content of theconference call utilizing an output device 712 associated with thecomputing device 702. The output device 712, for instance, can be adisplay screen, a speaker, a device that generates haptic feedback, acombination thereof, and so forth. Further, upon reaching real time, thecontent output component 710 can output real time content of theconference call (e.g., utilizing the output device 712).

Moreover, the client component 704 can include a replay controlcomponent 714 that controls the replay of the recorded content of theconference call received from the replay system 124 via the network 122.For example, the computing device 702 can receive input from aparticipant via an input device 716 associated with the computing device702. The input device 716, for example, can be a touchscreen, a keypad,a sensor (e.g., a camera that can detect gestures, etc.), a microphone,a combination thereof, or the like. Responsive to the received input,the replay control component 714 can manage the replay of the recordedcontent received from the replay system 124 by the content outputcomponent 710.

While the input device 716 and the output device 712 are illustrated asbeing separate from the computing device 702, it is to be appreciatedthat the computing device 702 can include the input device 716 and/orthe output device 712. Moreover, it is contemplated that the inputdevice 716 and the output device 712 can be a common device (e.g., atouchscreen).

According to an example, the replay control component 714 can receiveinput that specifies a bit rate for recording of the conference call.The bit rate can be signaled to the replay system 124 for controllingthe retention of the recorded content (e.g., by the retention component128). For example, the bit rate can be specified per conference call(e.g., a first bit rate for a first conference call, a disparate secondbit rate for a second conference call, etc.).

According to another example, the replay control component 714 cancontrol the playback speed of the recorded content. For instance, thereplay control component 714 can receive input from the input device 716that specifies the playback speed (e.g., the input can be a click on afast forward button displayed on a display screen of the computingdevice 702, manipulation of a slider displayed on the display screenthat controls the playback speed, etc.); thus, the replay of therecorded content can be controlled according to such selection. By wayof another example, the replay control component 714 can control theplayback speed based upon predefined preferences of the participant.

Moreover, the client component 704 can include a notification component718 (e.g., one of the notification components 616-620 of FIG. 6) thatcan output a notification utilizing the output device 712. Thenotification output via the notification component 718 can indicate thatthe computing device 702 has reached real time in a conference call.Thus, the notification component 718 can output a notification thatsignifies whether the participant is at real time in the conferencecall. Additionally or alternatively, the notification component 718 canoutput a notification that indicates that a disparate computing deviceof a disparate participant of the conference call has reached real timein the conference call. Accordingly, the notification component 718 canoutput a notification that signifies whether a disparate participant ofthe conference call is at real time in the conference call.

The client component 704 can also include an interaction managementcomponent 720 that can control interaction of the participant on theconference call based upon whether or not the participant is at realtime in the conference call. The interaction management 720 can mute amicrophone (e.g., the input device 716) of the computing device 702 whenthe content output component 710 outputs the recorded content (e.g.,when the participant is not at real time in the conference call).Moreover, the interaction management component 720 can unmute themicrophone of the computing device 702 when the participant is at realtime (e.g., when the content output component 720 outputs real timecontent of the conference call).

By way of another example, the client component 704 can further includea data repository 722, which can retain received content 724 obtainedfrom the replay system 124. For instance, the received content 724 canbe a portion of the conference call (e.g., to provide for buffering incase of subsequent disconnection of the computing device 702 from theconference call). According to another example, the replay system 124can transmit the recorded content to the computing device 702, which canbe retained as the received content 724 in the data repository 722 forsubsequent presentation via the output device 712.

FIGS. 8-11, illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the replaysystem 124. As illustrated in FIGS. 8-11, the replay system 124 includesthe monitor component 126, the retention component 128, the distributioncomponent 134, and the data repository 130. Further, the data repository130 can include the recorded content 132. The examples set forth inFIGS. 8-11 describe various approaches for altering the recorded content132 of the conference call utilizing the replay system 124 for playbackat a playback speed that is greater than a speed at which the content isrecorded. Moreover, it is to be appreciated that two or more of theembodiments described in FIGS. 8-11 can be combined; however, theclaimed subject matter is not so limited. Further, it is contemplatedthat the approaches for altering the recorded content 132 described inFIGS. 8-11 can additionally or alternatively be implemented by acomputing device (e.g., the client component 704 of the computing device702 of FIG. 7 can include one or more of the below-described componentscomprised in the replay system 124).

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the distribution component 134 of the replaysystem 124 can include a speed management component 800. The speedmanagement component 800 can control the playback speed of the recordedcontent 132 to be output. In order to allow a participant to interactwith the conference call (e.g., upon reaching real time in theconference call), the speed management component 800 can cause therecorded content 132 to be played on a computing device of theparticipant at an increased speed compared to a speed at which thecontent is recorded. For example, if the participant misses one minuteof the conference call and then listens at 1.2× speed upon rejoining theconference call, then the participant can again interact on theconference call after catching up for five minutes. It is to beappreciated, however, that the claimed subject matter is not limited touse of 1.2× speed as other speeds are intended to fall within the scopeof the hereto appended claims.

By way of example, the speed management component 800 can employ a fixedplayback speed. Following this example, the playback speed can be setfor all participants, on a per-participant basis, based upon a type ofconference call, or the like. Pursuant to another example, the playbackspeed for a given participant can be determined by the speed managementcomponent 800 based upon speed information received from a computingdevice of the given participant (e.g., from the replay control component714 of FIG. 7, responsive to input received from the given participant,etc.). According to another example, the speed management component 800can dynamically determine the playback speed as a function of at leastone of a length of a time period within the conference call missed bythe participant or a length of a time period remaining in the conferencecall. Following this example, the speed management component 800 canincrease the playback speed as the length of the time period within theconference call missed by the participant increases and/or as the lengthof the time period remaining in the conference call decreases.

It is contemplated that the speed management component 800 can performpitch-shifting on audio data included in the recorded content 132.Additionally or alternatively, the speed management component 800 cansynchronize differing types of data included in the recorded content 132for replay.

Reference is now made to FIG. 9. The replay system 124 includes thedistribution component 134, which can further include a filter component900. The filter component 900 can filter the recorded content 132.According to an example, the recorded content 132 can include audio data(e.g., spoken by different participants on the conference call). Thefilter component 900 can filter the audio data as a function of anidentity of a speaker to output speaker-specific audio data. Thus,responsive to the detection of the establishment of the connection ofthe participant to the conference call by the monitor component 126, atleast a portion of the speaker-specific audio data can be transmitted bythe distribution component 134 to the computing device of theparticipant. It is contemplated that the speaker-specific audio data canbe replayed by the computing device of the participant at the speed atwhich such data is recorded (e.g., pitch-shifting need not be performed)and/or replayed at a speed that differs from the speed at which suchdata is recorded (e.g., the speed management component 800 can alter thespeed, perform pitch-shifting, etc.).

Pursuant to an illustration, a participant who misses a portion of theconference call can specify the identity of the speaker (or speakers)used to filter the audio data. For instance, the participant may desireto hear the audio data from a facilitator of the conference call, whileskipping audio data from other audience members of the conference call.Thus, the filter component 900 can filter the audio data to output thespeaker-specific audio data of the facilitator (with the audio data ofthe other audience members removed). Responsive to the detection of theestablishment of the connection of the participant to the conferencecall, at least a portion of the speaker-specific audio data of thefacilitator can be transmitted by the distribution component 134 to thecomputing device of the participant.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the replay system 124 can further include atranscription component 1000. Again, the recorded content 132 of theconference call can include audio data. The transcription component 1000can transcribe the audio data to text data (e.g., by performing speechto text transcription). The speech to text transcription can beeffectuated by the transcription component 1000 for the entireconference call, a portion of the conference call that is missed by aparticipant, or the like. Further, responsive to the detection of theestablishment of the connection of the participant to the conferencecall by the monitor component 126, the distribution component 134 cantransmit at least a portion of the text data to the computing device ofthe participant for display on a display screen of a computing device.Accordingly, a participant who reads quickly may catch up to real timein less time by reading the transcripts (e.g., the text data) of themissed portion of the conference call.

By way of example, the distribution component 134 can send the text datainstead of the audio data to the computing device of the participant.Pursuant to another example, the distribution component 134 can transmitboth the text data and the audio data to the computing device of theparticipant. In accordance with yet another example, the distributioncomponent 134 can switch between sending the text data or the audio datato the computing device of the participant (e.g., based upon inputreceived from the computing device, etc.).

Turning to FIG. 11, illustrated is the replay system 124 furthercomprising a whitespace removal component 1100. Again, the recordedcontent 132 of the conference call can include audio data. Thewhitespace removal component 1100 can apply pause detection to the audiodata to output filtered audio data by removing whitespace from the audiodata (e.g., removing pauses in speech). For instance, frames in theaudio data that include whitespace can be detected and removed from theaudio data by the whitespace removal component 1100. Accordingly,responsive to the detection of the establishment of the connection ofthe participant to the conference call by the monitor component 126, thedistribution component 134 can transmit at least a portion of thefiltered audio data to the computing device of the participant. Uponremoving the whitespaces, it is contemplated that the filtered audiodata can be replayed by the computing device of the participant at thespeed at which such data is recorded (e.g., pitch-shifting need not beperformed) and/or replayed at a speed that differs from the speed atwhich such data is recorded (e.g., the speed management component 800can alter the speed, perform pitch-shifting, etc.).

While examples set forth herein pertain to a conference call with threeor more participants, it is to be appreciated that many of the examplescan be extended to a call with two participants. For instance, for acall with two participants, a first participant can continue to talkwhen a second participant is disconnected from the call (e.g., contentof the call can be recorded); upon rejoining the call, the secondparticipant can catch up employing techniques described herein.

FIGS. 12-15 illustrate exemplary methodologies relating to recording andreplaying recorded content of a conference call. While the methodologiesare shown and described as being a series of acts that are performed ina sequence, it is to be understood and appreciated that themethodologies are not limited by the order of the sequence. For example,some acts can occur in a different order than what is described herein.In addition, an act can occur concurrently with another act. Further, insome instances, not all acts may be required to implement a methodologydescribed herein.

Moreover, the acts described herein may be computer-executableinstructions that can be implemented by one or more processors and/orstored on a computer-readable medium or media. The computer-executableinstructions can include a routine, a sub-routine, programs, a thread ofexecution, and/or the like. Still further, results of acts of themethodologies can be stored in a computer-readable medium, displayed ona display device, and/or the like.

FIG. 12 illustrates a methodology 1200 for enabling a participant toreach real time in an ongoing conference call. At 1202, content of aconference call can be recorded. At 1204, establishment of a connectionof the participant to the conference call can be detected. Theconnection can be established with a computing device of theparticipant. Moreover, the establishment of the connection of theparticipant to the conference call can be detected subsequent toinitiation of the recording of the content of the conference call. At1206, at least a portion of recorded content of the conference call canbe transmitted to the computing device for playback at a playback speedthat is greater than a speed at which the content is recorded.Transmission of the portion of the recorded content of the conferencecall can be responsive to detection of the establishment of theconnection of the participant to the conference call.

Referring now to FIG. 13, illustrated is a methodology 1300 for enablinga participant to catch up in an ongoing conference call. At 1302, adisconnection of the participant from the conference call can bedetected. At 1304, content of the conference call can be recorded from atime of the disconnection of the participant from the conference call.At 1306, a subsequent reconnection of the participant to the conferencecall via a computing device can be detected. The computing device can bethe same computing device which was previously disconnected from theconference call or a disparate computing device as compared to thecomputing device which was previously disconnected from the conferencecall. At 1308, recorded content of the conference call from the time ofthe disconnection can be transmitted to the computing device forplayback at a playback speed that is greater than a speed at which thecontent is recorded. Thus, the conference call can be resumed from apoint in time of disconnection of the participant.

With reference to FIG. 14, illustrated is a methodology 1400 for causinga notification to be generated by a computing device of a participant ofa conference call. At 1402, at least a portion of recorded content of aconference call can be transmitted from a server to the computing deviceof the participant of the conference call for playback at a speed thatis greater than a speed at which content is recorded, where a connectionof the participant to the conference call is established with thecomputing device. At 1404, an indication can be transmitted from theserver to the computing device when the participant reaches real time inthe conference call. The indication can cause the computing device tooutput a notification that signifies that the participant is at realtime in the conference call.

Moreover, a disparate indication can be transmitted from the server toat least one disparate computing device of at least one disparateparticipant connected to the conference call. The disparate indicationcan be transmitted when the participant reaches real time in theconference call. The disparate indication can cause the at least onedisparate computing device to output a notification that signifies thatthe participant is at real time in the conference call.

Turning to FIG. 15, illustrated is a methodology 1500 for operating acomputing device of a participant of a conference call. At 1502, aconnection to a conference call can be established. The connection canbe established subsequent to a portion of the conference call missed bythe participant. At 1504, recorded content of the conference call can bereceived. The recorded content of the conference call can include atleast a part of the portion of the conference call missed by theparticipant. At 1506, the recorded content of the conference call can beoutput at a playback speed that is greater than a speed at which theportion of the conference call missed by the participant is recorded.

Referring now to FIG. 16, a high-level illustration of an exemplarycomputing device 1600 that can be used in accordance with the systemsand methodologies disclosed herein is illustrated. For instance, thecomputing device 1600 may be used in a system that records content of aconference call and transmits recorded content of the conference call toa computing device for replay at an increased speed responsive todetection of establishment of a connection of the participant to theconference call. By way of another example, the computing device 1600may be used to output recorded content of a conference call receivedfrom a replay system. Pursuant to another example, the computing device1600 may be used to provide notifications pertaining to statusinformation. The computing device 1600 includes at least one processor1602 that executes instructions that are stored in a memory 1604. Theinstructions may be, for instance, instructions for implementingfunctionality described as being carried out by one or more componentsdiscussed above or instructions for implementing one or more of themethods described above. The processor 1602 may access the memory 1604by way of a system bus 1606. In addition to storing executableinstructions, the memory 1604 may also store recorded content,timestamps, received content, and so forth.

The computing device 1600 additionally includes a data store 1608 thatis accessible by the processor 1602 by way of the system bus 1606. Thedata store 1608 may include executable instructions, recorded content,timestamps, received content, etc. The computing device 1600 alsoincludes an input interface 1610 that allows external devices tocommunicate with the computing device 1600. For instance, the inputinterface 1610 may be used to receive instructions from an externalcomputer device, from a user, etc. The computing device 1600 alsoincludes an output interface 1612 that interfaces the computing device1600 with one or more external devices. For example, the computingdevice 1600 may display text, images, etc. by way of the outputinterface 1612.

It is contemplated that the external devices that communicate with thecomputing device 1600 via the input interface 1610 and the outputinterface 1612 can be included in an environment that providessubstantially any type of user interface with which a user can interact.Examples of user interface types include graphical user interfaces,natural user interfaces, and so forth. For instance, a graphical userinterface may accept input from a user employing input device(s) such asa keyboard, mouse, remote control, or the like and provide output on anoutput device such as a display. Further, a natural user interface mayenable a user to interact with the computing device 1600 in a mannerfree from constraints imposed by input device such as keyboards, mice,remote controls, and the like. Rather, a natural user interface can relyon speech recognition, touch and stylus recognition, gesture recognitionboth on screen and adjacent to the screen, air gestures, head and eyetracking, voice and speech, vision, touch, gestures, machineintelligence, and so forth.

Additionally, while illustrated as a single system, it is to beunderstood that the computing device 1600 may be a distributed system.Thus, for instance, several devices may be in communication by way of anetwork connection and may collectively perform tasks described as beingperformed by the computing device 1600.

As used herein, the terms “component” and “system” are intended toencompass computer-readable data storage that is configured withcomputer-executable instructions that cause certain functionality to beperformed when executed by a processor. The computer-executableinstructions may include a routine, a function, or the like. It is alsoto be understood that a component or system may be localized on a singledevice or distributed across several devices.

Further, as used herein, the term “exemplary” is intended to mean“serving as an illustration or example of something.”

Various functions described herein can be implemented in hardware,software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, thefunctions can be stored on or transmitted over as one or moreinstructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readablemedia includes computer-readable storage media. A computer-readablestorage media can be any available storage media that can be accessed bya computer. By way of example, and not limitation, suchcomputer-readable storage media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM orother optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or storedesired program code in the form of instructions or data structures andthat can be accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein,include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatiledisc (DVD), floppy disk, and blu-ray disc (BD), where disks usuallyreproduce data magnetically and discs usually reproduce data opticallywith lasers. Further, a propagated signal is not included within thescope of computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media alsoincludes communication media including any medium that facilitatestransfer of a computer program from one place to another. A connection,for instance, can be a communication medium. For example, if thesoftware is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote sourceusing a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digitalsubscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio,and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair,DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave areincluded in the definition of communication medium. Combinations of theabove should also be included within the scope of computer-readablemedia.

Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can beperformed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components.For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardwarelogic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays(FPGAs), Program-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Program-specificStandard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), ComplexProgrammable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc.

What has been described above includes examples of one or moreembodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe everyconceivable modification and alteration of the above devices ormethodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned aspects, butone of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many furthermodifications and permutations of various aspects are possible.Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to embrace all suchalterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that theterm “includes” is used in either the details description or the claims,such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term“comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as atransitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: recording content of aconference call; detecting whether a participant is connected to theconference call, the participant being connected to the conference callusing a first computing device for at least a part of the conferencecall; and transmitting at least a portion of the content of theconference call to the first computing device of the participant forplayback at a playback speed that is greater than a speed at which thecontent is recorded, the portion of the content of the conference calltransmitted subsequent to detection of establishment of a connection ofthe first computing device of the participant to the conference call,the establishment of the connection of the first computing device beingsubsequent to a time period during the conference call in which theparticipant is not connected.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: detecting a disconnection of a second computing device ofthe participant from the conference call, wherein the time period duringthe conference call in which the participant is not connected begins ata time of the disconnection of the second computing device of theparticipant from the conference call, and the first computing devicediffers from the second computing device.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising: detecting a disconnection of the first computingdevice of the participant from the conference call, wherein the timeperiod during the conference call in which the participant is notconnected begins at a time of the disconnection of the first computingdevice of the participant from the conference call.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the time period during the conference call in which theparticipant is not connected begins at a beginning time of theconference call.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference callhas two participants.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conferencecall has at least three participants.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving an indication of a bit rate for the conferencecall; and recording the content of the conference call at the bit ratespecified by the input.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content ofthe conference call comprises audio data, the method further comprising:responsive to detection of a disconnection of the participant from theconference call, initiating transcribing the audio data to text data;and transmitting at least a portion of the text data to the firstcomputing device of the participant for display on a display screen ofthe first computing device, the portion of the text data transmittedsubsequent to the detection of the establishment of the connection ofthe first computing device of the participant to the conference call. 9.The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining information thatdescribes expected participants of the conference call; detectingwhether the expected participants are connected to the conference callat a particular time; and responsive to detecting that at least one ofthe expected participants has not joined the conference call by theparticular time, initiating the recording of the content of theconference call.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the expectedparticipants comprise invitees of the conference call.
 11. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the expected participants comprise invitees thataccepted invitations for the conference call.
 12. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving a request for a missed portion of theconference call from the first computing device of the participantsubsequent to the establishment of the connection of the first computingdevice of the participant to the conference call, wherein the requestidentifies the missed portion; wherein the portion of the content of theconference call transmitted to the first computing device of theparticipant comprises the missed portion identified by the request. 13.The method of claim 1, the playback speed being set on a per-participantbasis.
 14. The method of claim 1, the playback speed being based on atype of the conference call.
 15. The method of claim 1, the playbackspeed being fixed for participants of the conference call.
 16. A system,comprising: a data repository; at least one processor; and memory thatcomprises computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the atleast one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform actsincluding: recording the content of the conference call, the contentbeing retained in the data repository; detecting whether a participantis connected to the conference call, the participant being connected tothe conference call using a first computing device for at least a partof the conference call; and transmitting at least a portion of thecontent of the conference call to the first computing device of theparticipant for playback at a playback speed that is greater than aspeed at which the content is recorded, the portion of the content ofthe conference call transmitted subsequent to detection of establishmentof a connection of the first computing device of the participant to theconference call, the establishment of the connection of the firstcomputing device being subsequent to a time period during the conferencecall in which the participant is not connected.
 17. The system of claim16, the memory further comprising computer-executable instructions that,when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least oneprocessor to perform acts including: detecting a disconnection of asecond computing device of the participant from the conference call,wherein the time period during the conference call in which theparticipant is not connected begins at a time of the disconnection ofthe second computing device of the participant from the conference call,and the first computing device differs from the second computing device.18. The system of claim 16, the memory further comprisingcomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts including:detecting whether expected participants of the conference call areconnected to the conference call at a particular time; and responsive todetecting that at least one of the expected participants has not joinedthe conference call by the particular time, initiating the recording ofthe content of the conference call.
 19. A computing device of aparticipant of a conference call, comprising: at least one processor;and memory that comprises computer-executable instructions, that whenexecuted by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processorto perform acts including: establishing a connection to the conferencecall, wherein the connection is established subsequent to a portion ofthe conference call missed by the participant; receiving recordedcontent of the conference call, wherein the recorded content comprisesat least a part of the portion of the conference call missed by theparticipant; and outputting the recorded content of the conference callat a playback speed that is greater than a speed at which content of theportion of the conference call missed by the participant is recorded.20. The computing device of claim 19, the memory further comprisingcomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts including:receiving input that specifies the playback speed; and outputting therecorded content of the conference call at the playback speed specifiedby the input.